Zoo Weekly magazine will issue a public apology in its next edition after its controversial call to find the "hottest asylum seeker".

The magazine's editor, Tim Keen, has confirmed in an email to an opponent of the two-page spread, Matt Darvas, that the magazine would apologise.

"We will explain that the reason for the apology is that we regret any offence caused to any of our readers, and to any asylum seeker or refugee who was offended, along with their families and supporters," Mr Keen wrote this afternoon.

Over a two-page spread, the magazine's July 16 edition read: "We're looking for Oz's hottest asylum seeker, so if you've swapped persecution for sexiness, we want to shoot you (with a camera - relax!)".

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A petition on Change.org, set up by Mr Darvas, has called for Zoo Weekly to apologise for "exploiting asylum seekers", attracting more than 5000 signatures since yesterday morning.

"It makes a mockery of the situations refugees face and circumstances they have fled," Mr Darvas said.

Mr Darvas, who works closely with a refugee community in Newcastle, said he would not take down the petition until he saw the apology.

"The issue is, they have issued an apology and a retraction, but it's only a matter of time until they do this again; making fun of a vulnerable group of people to sell magazines."